Some off-the-court advice for Steve Nash

There’s no doubt Steve Nash is a leader on a basketball court. But now that the former Olympian and two-time NBA MVP has been appointed General Manager of Canada’s senior men’s basketball team, everyone is watching to see how successful he can be off the court as well.

Not all high performers become successful organizational leaders. Being top-of-class doesn’t always translate into success when leadership becomes part of your job. It’s even more difficult when you’re stepping into a new situation where expectations are high.

‘Nash must be clear about what he wants to accomplish, for both the program and the team, and communicate those objectives consistently’

Vision may be the most critical quality a new leader brings to his post. In his new role, Nash must be clear about what he wants to accomplish, for both the program and the team, and communicate those objectives consistently.

Canada didn’t qualify for this year’s Olympics, despite a recent surge of home-grown talent. If Nash’s top priority is to lead the charge toward the podium at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he’ll need to build a winning team – on and off the court – that stays firmly rallied behind his vision for the program.

Key to Nash’s success as a player has been his ability to maximize his skills while understanding and overcoming his short-comings. He was never going to be seven feet tall, so he developed his game around the assets he did possess. As GM, his strengths and short-comings will be different, but he needs the same ability to evaluate and understand himself now that he is part of senior management.

One of Nash’s biggest strengths is his personal brand recognition, even with people who don’t follow basketball. He’ll be able to use that to attract talented players and coaches to the team, and to get sponsors and donors to help fund the team’s preparations for major tournaments.

New leaders are sometimes expected to have all of the answers as soon as possible, but part of applying leadership and gaining respect is being open to the ideas of people already there. Nash must resist the urge to make key decisions without considering the knowledge from those who have been there, including Maurizio Gherardini, who will continue as Managing Director.

In addition to the players on the court, Nash needs to build out his leadership team to help him drive his vision and achieve his goals. This could be his most important task. He’ll be looking for people who combine strong leadership qualities with deep know-how of their craft and the ability to work together effectively over the long-term. With rumours that a leading contender for a key position is former Toronto Raptors coach Jay Triano – for whom Nash played as part of Canada’s team at the Sydney Olympics –he seems to be doing that already.

Steve Nash was appointed General Manager because he knows basketball and exemplifies what it takes to excel. From a fan’s perspective, it looks like he has the attributes for success in his new role. However, like any leader taking charge of a new situation, his biggest challenge might be his own evolution – replacing those strengths that worked on the court with others that will work better in the front office. Watching his ability to adapt on the court, it’s a good bet he’ll do just fine.

Vince Marsh is national leader of Deloitte’s Leadership Development practice

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